WCS Access to netCDF Files
Wrapper software for WCS access to netCDF files
Background
The netCDF file format is a common way of storing gridded meteorological and air quality model results. The netCDF files that are also conformant with the CF convention further enhances the semantics of the netCDF files. Most of the recent model outputs are conformant with netCDF-CF.
The netCDF-CF convention facilitates the storage and transmission of model data sets using standard formats. The low level libraries provided by UNIDATA also provide a clear API for creating and accessing data from netCDF files.
Data access through OGC WCS protocol
The WCS protocol uses a physical coordinate system for accessing data, by explicitaly facilitating space-time queries using a geographic bounding box and a time-range to define the data access request. The purpose of this effort is to create a portable software template for accessing netCDF-formated data using the WCS protocol. Using that protocol will allow accessing the stored data by any WCS complient client software. It is hoped that the standards-based data access service will promote the development and use of distributed data processing and analysis tools.
WCS access to model outputs in the Juelich HTAP archive
The initial effort is focused on developing and applying the WCS wrapper template to the model outputs created for the HTAP global model comparison study. These model outputs are being managed by Martin Schultz's group at Forschungs Zentrum Juelich, Germany.
